Executive Board

January 2018

With time running out to notch major legislative victories ahead of the looming 2018 midterm elections, Republicans in Congress spent December working feverishly to pass tax reform legislation. On December 1, the Senate passed its version of a bill to reshape the U.S. tax system by a vote of 51 to 49. On December 6, the Senate decided, by a vote of 51 to 47, to conference the Senate tax reform bill with the House version. The House similarly decided to conference its tax reform bill with the Senate by a vote of 222 to 192 on December 4. Read More »

December 2017

November was a busy month in Congress as lawmakers tried to pass legislation before the Thanksgiving recess. The biggest focus was on tax reform, but legislators and the Trump Administration also devoted significant time to the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic and the federal response. Read More »

November 2017

Congress continues to examine the epidemic of opioid abuse that is plaguing communities across the country. Addressing this crisis is a top priority for PORAC, as recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that drug overdose deaths in 2016 most likely exceeded 64,000 — an increase of more than 22% over the 2015 total. Read More »

October 2017

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing relating to Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis. PORAC is pleased to share that Congresswoman Mimi Walters submitted our prepared testimony for the record and referenced PORAC in the hearing.Read More »

May 2017

In late March, more than a dozen PORAC and PORAN members traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers to discuss legislative priorities in the 115th Congress. In total, the group met with more than 30 lawmakers and their staffs, including U.S. Senators Feinstein (D-Calif.), Harris (D-Calif.), Heller (R-Nev.) and Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), as well as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). PORAC also met with staff from the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students. Read More »